Obama Takes Over WH Briefing

Commandeering Carney’s daily presser, POTUS says Republicans “holding out for…concessions on issues that have nothing to do with the payroll tax cut.”

Obama: “Let’s be clear; the bipartisan compromise that was reached on Saturday is the only viable way to prevent a tax hike on January 1.”

Continues: “This is not poker. This is not a game. This is not politics as usual.”

President asks Boehner to bring the Senate version of the payroll tax cut to the floor for a vote.

Carney says the President “will continue to urge the House to do the responsible thing” and agree to the Senate’s two-month deal.

Adds it’s not the President’s role to be “marriage counselor” between the House and the Senate.

Places blame for the bill’s failure squarely on House GOP shoulders: “There’s no indication by the House leadership that they’re moving towards compromise.”

PressSec: “The American people aren’t going to remember who won, who saved face in the middle of December. They’re just going to know their taxes went up and they’ll be rightfully angry about it.”

Carney: “What the House did today was refuse to take up the bipartisan compromise, passed by the Senate, with 90 percent approval; more than 80 percent of Republicans voted for it. And I think all of you here are astute enough analysts of Washington and Congress to know that the bill would have passed.”